Simon shook his head. “The butler is not a person worthy of doing that. He’s a close friend who has been with me since I was young, and he has been loyal to Waieos family his entire life. That’s the truth beyond excuse.”
Simon’s face was filled with sorrow. Even in Aster’s opinion, the butler of the Waieos family that he saw then was unrivaled in being loyal.
He was never the type of person to think differently.
“I’m curious too. What on earth happened to him that day?”
Aster was in agony with his chin clenched. Tap. The finger that was tapping on the cheek soon stopped.
“Do you remember where the butler’s destination was?”
“There’s no way I didn’t know. It was the day we were supposed to sell the last remaining mine. Ah. He said that on his way back he would stop by a temple.”
“Did you say… temple?”
“At that moment, I ran out of special ointment, so I was going to buy a few more.”
“I see.”
Aster, who answered briefly, had a subtle smile. After a while, he leaned forward slightly and made eye contact with Simon.
“Viscount Waieos. Listen carefully to what I say from now on.”
“…I’ll listen.” Simon nodded his head nervously and listened carefully.
* * *
Simon, who returned to the room after Grand Duke Sestein left, was in deep agony. The grand duke said he had something serious to discuss, and until he sent Elusiana up to her room, he had no idea that the grand duke would bring up such a serious topic.
The grand duke’s attitude was so gentle that he thought he could also take it lightly. However, the words that came out of the grand duke’s mouth were something that couldn’t be easily believed or understood.
“My father and my wife died of poisoning. Haha. How can I believe it as it is?”
According to the grand duke, the ‘special ointment’ he received at the temple was the cause of the two people’s deaths. It was all because of that that Elusiana was on the verge of death when she was young.
If what the grand duke said was true, he had become a heartless father who killed his father and wife with his own hands and even drove his only daughter to death.
“With my two hands.”
Simon raised his trembling hands and looked at them. Hands that didn’t show any traces of hard work. With these hands he passed poison to those he loved most in the world.
Simon couldn’t overcome his soaring guilt and closed his eyes tightly. The blood in his entire body seemed to turn cold as he felt a sense of helplessness overtaking him.
How can I pay for this terrible sin?
Simon gasped as the pain pressed heavily on his chest. He wanted to die and pay for all the sins he had committed. Yes, it would be better if he died. But— What about my daughter, Elusiana?
His daughter, who survived without dying, came into his eyes. Knowing this horrifying fact was okay, but he was worried about his daughter who was kind enough to comfort him. Even his death will be a burden to her. When he reached that though, he felt so cowardly that he almost let go of his life.
“Huuu. Huuuuuu.”
Simon, clutching his chest, sobbed quietly, bending forward. Even these tears were a sin, so how could he try to add more sadness?
“I’m sorry, Lusi.”
Simon was so saddened by the fact he just shed tears. He was like that until the cries he swallowed dry and no longer flowed out. It was only after such a long time that he remembered what the grand duke had said, sweeping away his red, bloodshot eyes.
“It appears that Viscount has been brainwashed by the high priest.”
The grand duke said that donating large sums of cash to the temples, conducting quarterly charity work in slums, and lending money in the name of investment were all due to ‘brainwashing’.
Simon believed that all the goodwill he had made so far was for Elusiana. He never once doubted that the more he gave, the more his daughter’s life would be extended.
“Keep your promise to God, Viscount Waieos. If you don’t prove your faithfulness, your beloved daughter will return to his arms again. Such a sad thing… shouldn’t happen again, right?”
Who could think like then when you heard it from the high priest and the weight was the life of your precious daughter? However, the grand duke said it was all a lie.
Perhaps the butler also noticed something suspicious and went to the temple? Simon had a belated question.
The reason why he moved only when the family was about to collapse was probably because he wasn’t free from the influence of brainwashing. Sometimes, the butler accompanied him to the temple.
Plus, since they threatened me using my daughter’s life, it must have been more difficult to think correctly.
Simon swept away his face. Now that he looked back, he could see everything.
The death of his butler, who was like a close friend, was the same. If he were who he was, he would never have let things go in vain.
Simon’s blurry vision seemed to have been wiped clean, making him wonder why he was only thinking about this now.
After that, a plausible thought came to him. Being able to think normally like now was also the result of him neglecting going to the temple in recent years.
“I completely played into the palm of their hands.”
He knew long ago that Count Eragost was targeting the Waieos family. But he didn’t pay much attention to it. He thought that even if Count Eragost united the nobles and took over the position of head, he wouldn’t be able to exert much power in the face of the wealth of Waieos family.
I was arrogant.
Who would have guessed that the Count Eragost would collude with the temple to decorate such a terrible thing?
It was only a little over a decade ago. In the meantime, the Waieos family has fallen and lost a precious person.
So even now, shouldn’t he correct what’s wrong and reverse it? If he couldn’t do that, he had to at least resolve his resentment over the unfair death.
“If you’re dead, I would like to at least honor your soul.”
Simon lowered his head and thick teardrops fell from his eyes.
“Give me a break today, Butler. I’ll cry for my friend only today.”
And by all means, he will definitely strike down those who have dishonored him and his family.
Simon’s eyes shone brightly in the dark room.
* * *
Aster, who emerged from Waieos Mansion, immediately moved to the Grand Duchy Sestein.
Swaaaa—
“You’re here, Your Excellency.”
“There you’re, just in time, Old Man. Come and sit down.”
Aster, who moved to the office, sat down and gestured to Louis.
“Did you meet her well?”
“Yes. Rather— Butler, there is one thing I need you to confirm.”
“Confirm?”
Aster nodded with a serious look.
“You didn’t just go to see the lady.”
“Now that Lusi knows my identity, I should tell Viscount Waieos as well.”
“He must have accepted it without difficulty.”
“Aren’t you too confident?”
“Am I wrong?”
Aster frowned slightly.
“No. I guess I’m starting to get a little annoyed because you were right. Well, that’s enough.”
“You must have talked about the special ointment.”
“That’s right. In fact, the reason I came to the Waieos Mansion was to talk about that. But— Viscount Waieos said something strange.”
Aster, with his chin down, spoke in a lower tone.
“The day the Waieos family butler went missing, he said he would stop by the temple.”
“The… temple?”
“Yes, the temple.”
“What a truly elaborate route.”
“Yes. I don’t know if it’s an accident on the way or after he stopped by. It’s very suspicious.”
“If so.”
Aster nodded slowly. “I need you to take a closer look at the inside of the temple.”
“Have you considered the possibility that the Waieos family butler is still alive?”
“Not really. Considering he hasn’t shown up until now, I’d assume he’s dead. But the butler I know isn’t that stupid. I don’t think he would have put all the wealth in the carriage.”
“…That makes sense. If convenience had been considered, the first thing to do would have been to exchange it for money.”
“No. There’s a good chance that he had money from the beginning.”
“Hmm.”
Aster, his eyes narrowed, twisted one corner of his mouth and said. “The way I see it’s either of them, the Temple or Count Eragost.”
“…”
“If you kidnap the Waieos family’s butler, the money would be there too. Or, at least a trace of it.”
After thinking for a moment, Aster looked at Louis. “What happened to the knight that was sent back to Count Eragost? Camilla’s faithful knight. I hope he’ll pay the price for giving him an antidote keeping him alive.”
“It is said that the lady’s escort knight cut his throat.”
“Hoo. As expected, she doesn’t disappoint my expectations. What about the knight’s body?”
“We’ve secured it.”
Aster ordered with a smile on his face. “Good. Deliver his body to Count Eragost. The dog died while showing his loyalty, so we must show courtesy to it.”
Simon shook his head. “The butler is not a person worthy of doing that. He’s a close friend who has been with me since I was young, and he has been loyal to Waieos family his entire life. That’s the truth beyond excuse.”
Simon’s face was filled with sorrow. Even in Aster’s opinion, the butler of the Waieos family that he saw then was unrivaled in being loyal.
He was never the type of person to think differently.
“I’m curious too. What on earth happened to him that day?”
Aster was in agony with his chin clenched. Tap. The finger that was tapping on the cheek soon stopped.
“Do you remember where the butler’s destination was?”
“There’s no way I didn’t know. It was the day we were supposed to sell the last remaining mine. Ah. He said that on his way back he would stop by a temple.”
“Did you say… temple?”
“At that moment, I ran out of special ointment, so I was going to buy a few more.”
“I see.”
Aster, who answered briefly, had a subtle smile. After a while, he leaned forward slightly and made eye contact with Simon.
“Viscount Waieos. Listen carefully to what I say from now on.”
“…I’ll listen.” Simon nodded his head nervously and listened carefully.
* * *
Simon, who returned to the room after Grand Duke Sestein left, was in deep agony. The grand duke said he had something serious to discuss, and until he sent Elusiana up to her room, he had no idea that the grand duke would bring up such a serious topic.
The grand duke’s attitude was so gentle that he thought he could also take it lightly. However, the words that came out of the grand duke’s mouth were something that couldn’t be easily believed or understood.
“My father and my wife died of poisoning. Haha. How can I believe it as it is?”
According to the grand duke, the ‘special ointment’ he received at the temple was the cause of the two people’s deaths. It was all because of that that Elusiana was on the verge of death when she was young.
If what the grand duke said was true, he had become a heartless father who killed his father and wife with his own hands and even drove his only daughter to death.
“With my two hands.”
Simon raised his trembling hands and looked at them. Hands that didn’t show any traces of hard work. With these hands he passed poison to those he loved most in the world.
Simon couldn’t overcome his soaring guilt and closed his eyes tightly. The blood in his entire body seemed to turn cold as he felt a sense of helplessness overtaking him.
How can I pay for this terrible sin?
Simon gasped as the pain pressed heavily on his chest. He wanted to die and pay for all the sins he had committed. Yes, it would be better if he died. But— What about my daughter, Elusiana?
His daughter, who survived without dying, came into his eyes. Knowing this horrifying fact was okay, but he was worried about his daughter who was kind enough to comfort him. Even his death will be a burden to her. When he reached that though, he felt so cowardly that he almost let go of his life.
“Huuu. Huuuuuu.”
Simon, clutching his chest, sobbed quietly, bending forward. Even these tears were a sin, so how could he try to add more sadness?
“I’m sorry, Lusi.”
Simon was so saddened by the fact he just shed tears. He was like that until the cries he swallowed dry and no longer flowed out. It was only after such a long time that he remembered what the grand duke had said, sweeping away his red, bloodshot eyes.
“It appears that Viscount has been brainwashed by the high priest.”
The grand duke said that donating large sums of cash to the temples, conducting quarterly charity work in slums, and lending money in the name of investment were all due to ‘brainwashing’.
Simon believed that all the goodwill he had made so far was for Elusiana. He never once doubted that the more he gave, the more his daughter’s life would be extended.
“Keep your promise to God, Viscount Waieos. If you don’t prove your faithfulness, your beloved daughter will return to his arms again. Such a sad thing… shouldn’t happen again, right?”
Who could think like then when you heard it from the high priest and the weight was the life of your precious daughter? However, the grand duke said it was all a lie.
Perhaps the butler also noticed something suspicious and went to the temple? Simon had a belated question.
The reason why he moved only when the family was about to collapse was probably because he wasn’t free from the influence of brainwashing. Sometimes, the butler accompanied him to the temple.
Plus, since they threatened me using my daughter’s life, it must have been more difficult to think correctly.
Simon swept away his face. Now that he looked back, he could see everything.
The death of his butler, who was like a close friend, was the same. If he were who he was, he would never have let things go in vain.
Simon’s blurry vision seemed to have been wiped clean, making him wonder why he was only thinking about this now.
After that, a plausible thought came to him. Being able to think normally like now was also the result of him neglecting going to the temple in recent years.
“I completely played into the palm of their hands.”
He knew long ago that Count Eragost was targeting the Waieos family. But he didn’t pay much attention to it. He thought that even if Count Eragost united the nobles and took over the position of head, he wouldn’t be able to exert much power in the face of the wealth of Waieos family.
I was arrogant.
Who would have guessed that the Count Eragost would collude with the temple to decorate such a terrible thing?
It was only a little over a decade ago. In the meantime, the Waieos family has fallen and lost a precious person.
So even now, shouldn’t he correct what’s wrong and reverse it? If he couldn’t do that, he had to at least resolve his resentment over the unfair death.
“If you’re dead, I would like to at least honor your soul.”
Simon lowered his head and thick teardrops fell from his eyes.
“Give me a break today, Butler. I’ll cry for my friend only today.”
And by all means, he will definitely strike down those who have dishonored him and his family.
Simon’s eyes shone brightly in the dark room.
* * *
Aster, who emerged from Waieos Mansion, immediately moved to the Grand Duchy Sestein.
Swaaaa—
“You’re here, Your Excellency.”
“There you’re, just in time, Old Man. Come and sit down.”
Aster, who moved to the office, sat down and gestured to Louis.
“Did you meet her well?”
“Yes. Rather— Butler, there is one thing I need you to confirm.”
“Confirm?”
Aster nodded with a serious look.
“You didn’t just go to see the lady.”
“Now that Lusi knows my identity, I should tell Viscount Waieos as well.”
“He must have accepted it without difficulty.”
“Aren’t you too confident?”
“Am I wrong?”
Aster frowned slightly.
“No. I guess I’m starting to get a little annoyed because you were right. Well, that’s enough.”
“You must have talked about the special ointment.”
“That’s right. In fact, the reason I came to the Waieos Mansion was to talk about that. But— Viscount Waieos said something strange.”
Aster, with his chin down, spoke in a lower tone.
“The day the Waieos family butler went missing, he said he would stop by the temple.”
“The… temple?”
“Yes, the temple.”
“What a truly elaborate route.”
“Yes. I don’t know if it’s an accident on the way or after he stopped by. It’s very suspicious.”
“If so.”
Aster nodded slowly. “I need you to take a closer look at the inside of the temple.”
“Have you considered the possibility that the Waieos family butler is still alive?”
“Not really. Considering he hasn’t shown up until now, I’d assume he’s dead. But the butler I know isn’t that stupid. I don’t think he would have put all the wealth in the carriage.”
“…That makes sense. If convenience had been considered, the first thing to do would have been to exchange it for money.”
“No. There’s a good chance that he had money from the beginning.”
“Hmm.”
Aster, his eyes narrowed, twisted one corner of his mouth and said. “The way I see it’s either of them, the Temple or Count Eragost.”
“…”
“If you kidnap the Waieos family’s butler, the money would be there too. Or, at least a trace of it.”
After thinking for a moment, Aster looked at Louis. “What happened to the knight that was sent back to Count Eragost? Camilla’s faithful knight. I hope he’ll pay the price for giving him an antidote keeping him alive.”
“It is said that the lady’s escort knight cut his throat.”
“Hoo. As expected, she doesn’t disappoint my expectations. What about the knight’s body?”
“We’ve secured it.”
Aster ordered with a smile on his face. “Good. Deliver his body to Count Eragost. The dog died while showing his loyalty, so we must show courtesy to it.”
